Match Wits With Geography Champ

WASHINGTON —  He won by knowing that Germany is the European Union’s most populous country, with more than 80 million people.

With that, Petko Peev, 13, of Grand Rapids, Mich., defeated J.B. Kizer of Portsmouth, Ohio, to become the 1998 winner of the National Geography Bee.

Peev, who was born in Bulgaria, will receive a $25,000 scholarship from the National Geographic Society and a trip to Hong Kong from Sylvan Learning Centers.

A question about the Titanic stumped both finalists in the five-question championship round. Both said it was built in England--Peev in East Liverpool, Kizer in Portsmouth. The answer was Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The question mentioned that the shipyards were at the mouth of the River Lagan, and the city is north of the Irish Sea.

Some other questions asked:

1--Barley is an important crop grown in East Anglia, the easternmost region in what country?

2--Rivalry over Korea and what region in northeastern China led to the Russo-Japanese War in the early 20th century?

3--Before capturing Samarkand, Alexander the Great crossed the Oxus River, which flowed from the Pamirs to the Aral Sea. Today, the river is known by what other name?

4--Malaysia, China and the Philippines are among the countries that claim sovereignty over a group of islands in the South China Sea. Name these islands.

Answers: 1--United Kingdom. 2--Manchuria. 3--Amu Darya. 4--Spratly Islands.